Anatomy of Melancholy, by Robert Burton

Sect. iii. Memb. i.

A Consolatory Digression, containing the Remedies of all manner of Discontents.

Because in the preceding section I have made mention of good counsel, comfortable speeches, persuasion, how
necessarily they are required to the cure of a discontented or troubled mind, how present a remedy they yield, and many
times a sole sufficient cure of themselves; I have thought fit in this following section, a little to digress (if at
least it be to digress in this subject), to collect and glean a few remedies, and comfortable speeches out of our best
orators, philosophers, divines, and fathers of the church, tending to this purpose. I confess, many have copiously
written of this subject, Plato, Seneca, Plutarch, Xenophon, Epictetus, Theophrastus, Xenocrates, Grantor, Lucian,
Boethius: and some of late, Sadoletus, Cardan, Budaeus, Stella, Petrarch, Erasmus, besides Austin, Cyprian, Bernard,
&c. And they so well, that as Hierome in like case said, si nostrum areret ingenium, de illorum
posset fontibus irrigari, if our barren wits were dried up, they might be copiously irrigated from those
well-springs: and I shall but actum agere; yet because these tracts are not so obvious and
common, I will epitomise, and briefly insert some of their divine precepts, reducing their voluminous and vast
treatises to my small scale; for it were otherwise impossible to bring so great vessels into so little a creek. And
although (as Cardan said of his book de consol.) 3553“I know beforehand, this tract of mine many will contemn and reject; they that are
fortunate, happy, and in flourishing estate, have no need of such consolatory speeches; they that are miserable and
unhappy, think them insufficient to ease their grieved minds, and comfort their misery:” yet I will go on; for this
must needs do some good to such as are happy, to bring them to a moderation, and make them reflect and know themselves,
by seeing the inconstancy of human felicity, others' misery; and to such as are distressed, if they will but attend and
consider of this, it cannot choose but give some content and comfort. 3554“'Tis true, no medicine can cure all diseases, some affections of the mind are altogether
incurable; yet these helps of art, physic, and philosophy must not be contemned.” Arrianus and Plotinus are stiff in
the contrary opinion, that such precepts can do little good. Boethius himself cannot comfort in some cases, they will
reject such speeches like bread of stones, Insana stultae mentis haec solatia.3555

“Words add no courage,” which 3556Catiline once said to his soldiers, “a captain's oration doth not make a coward a valiant man:”
and as Job 3557 feelingly said to his friends,
“you are but miserable comforters all.” 'Tis to no purpose in that vulgar phrase to use a company of obsolete
sentences, and familiar sayings: as 3558Plinius Secundus, being now sorrowful and heavy for the departure of his dear friend Cornelius
Rufus, a Roman senator, wrote to his fellow Tiro in like case, adhibe solatia, sed nova aliqua, sed
fortia, quae audierim nunquam, legerim nunquam: nam quae audivi, quae legi omnia, tanto dolore superantur,
either say something that I never read nor heard of before, or else hold thy peace. Most men will here except trivial
consolations, ordinary speeches, and known persuasions in this behalf will be of small force; what can any man say that
hath not been said? To what end are such paraenetical discourses? you may as soon remove Mount Caucasus, as alter some
men's affections. Yet sure I think they cannot choose but do some good, and comfort and ease a little, though it be the
same again, I will say it, and upon that hope I will adventure. 3559Non meus hic sermo, 'tis not my speech this, but of Seneca, Plutarch,
Epictetus, Austin, Bernard, Christ and his Apostles. If I make nothing, as 3560Montaigne said in like case, I will mar nothing; 'tis not
my doctrine but my study, I hope I shall do nobody wrong to speak what I think, and deserve not blame in imparting my
mind. If it be not for thy ease, it may for mine own; so Tully, Cardan, and Boethius wrote de
consol. as well to help themselves as others; be it as it may I will essay.

Discontents and grievances are either general or particular; general are wars, plagues, dearths, famine, fires,
inundations, unseasonable weather, epidemical diseases which afflict whole kingdoms, territories, cities; or peculiar
to private men, 3561as cares, crosses, losses, death of friends, poverty, want, sickness, orbities, injuries,
abuses, &c. Generally all discontent, 3562homines quatimur fortunae, salo. No condition free, quisque suos patimur manes. Even in the midst of our mirth and jollity, there is some grudging, some
complaint; as 3563he saith, our whole life is a glycypicron, a bitter sweet passion, honey and gall mixed
together, we are all miserable and discontent, who can deny it? If all, and that it be a common calamity, an inevitable
necessity, all distressed, then as Cardan infers, 3564“who art thou that hopest to go free? Why dost thou not grieve thou art a mortal man, and
not governor of the world?” Ferre quam sortem patiuntur omnes, Nemo recuset, 3565“If it be common to all, why should one man be more disquieted than another?” If thou alone
wert distressed, it were indeed more irksome, and less to be endured; but when the calamity is common, comfort thyself
with this, thou hast more fellows, Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris; 'tis not thy sole
case, and why shouldst thou be so impatient? 3566“Aye, but alas we are more miserable than others, what shall we do? Besides private
miseries, we live in perpetual fear and danger of common enemies: we have Bellona's whips, and pitiful outcries, for
epithalamiums; for pleasant music, that fearful noise of ordnance, drums, and warlike trumpets still sounding in our
ears; instead of nuptial torches, we have firing of towns and cities; for triumphs, lamentations; for joy, tears.”
3567“So it is, and so it was, and so it ever will be. He that refuseth to see and hear, to
suffer this, is not fit to live in this world, and knows not the common condition of all men, to whom so long as they
live, with a reciprocal course, joys and sorrows are annexed, and succeed one another.” It is inevitable, it may not be
avoided, and why then shouldst thou be so much troubled? Grave nihil est homini quod fert
necessitas, as 3568Tully
deems out of an old poet, “that which is necessary cannot be grievous.” If it be so, then comfort thyself in this,
3569“that whether thou wilt or no, it must be endured:” make a virtue of necessity, and
conform thyself to undergo it. 3570Si longa est, levis est; si gravis est, brevis est. If it be long, 'tis light; if grievous, it cannot last.
It will away, dies dolorem minuit, and if nought else, time will wear it out; custom will ease
it; 3571 oblivion is a common medicine for all losses, injuries, griefs, and detriments whatsoever,
3572“and when they are once past, this commodity comes of infelicity, it makes the rest of
our life sweeter unto us:” 3573Atque
haec olim meminisse juvabit, “recollection of the past is pleasant:” “the privation and want of a thing many
times makes it more pleasant and delightsome than before it was.” We must not think the happiest of us all to escape
here without some misfortunes,

Heaven and earth are much unlike: 3575“Those heavenly bodies indeed are freely carried in their orbs without any impediment or
interruption, to continue their course for innumerable ages, and make their conversions: but men are urged with many
difficulties, and have diverse hindrances, oppositions still crossing, interrupting their endeavours and desires, and
no mortal man is free from this law of nature.” We must not therefore hope to have all things answer our own
expectation, to have a continuance of good success and fortunes, Fortuna nunquam perpetuo est
bona. And as Minutius Felix, the Roman consul, told that insulting Coriolanus, drunk with his good fortunes,
look not for that success thou hast hitherto had; 3576“It never yet happened to any man since the beginning of the world, nor ever will, to
have all things according to his desire, or to whom fortune was never opposite and adverse.” Even so it fell out to him
as he foretold. And so to others, even to that happiness of Augustus; though he were Jupiter's almoner, Pluto's
treasurer, Neptune's admiral, it could not secure him. Such was Alcibiades's fortune, Narsetes, that great Gonsalvus,
and most famous men's, that as 3577Jovius concludes, “it is almost fatal to great princes, through their own default or
otherwise circumvented with envy and malice, to lose their honours, and die contumeliously.” 'Tis so, still hath been,
and ever will be, Nihil est ab omni parte beatum,

There's no perfection is so absolute,

That some impurity doth not pollute.

Whatsoever is under the moon is subject to corruption, alteration; and so long as thou livest upon earth look not
for other. 3578“Thou shalt not here find peaceable and cheerful days, quiet times, but rather clouds,
storms, calumnies, such is our fate.” And as those errant planets in their distinct orbs have their several motions,
sometimes direct, stationary, retrograde, in apogee, perigee, oriental, occidental, combust, feral, free, and as our
astrologers will, have their fortitudes and debilities, by reason of those good and bad irradiations, conferred to each
other's site in the heavens, in their terms, houses, case, detriments, &c. So we rise and fall in this world, ebb
and flow, in and out, reared and dejected, lead a troublesome life, subject to many accidents and casualties of
fortunes, variety of passions, infirmities as well from ourselves as others.

Yea, but thou thinkest thou art more miserable than the rest, other men are happy but in respect of thee, their
miseries are but flea-bitings to thine, thou alone art unhappy, none so bad as thyself. Yet if, as Socrates said,
3579“All men in the world should come and bring their grievances together, of body, mind, fortune,
sores, ulcers, madness, epilepsies, agues, and all those common calamities of beggary, want, servitude, imprisonment,
and lay them on a heap to be equally divided, wouldst thou share alike, and take thy portion? or be as thou art?
Without question thou wouldst be as thou art.” If some Jupiter should say, to give us all content,

3581“Every man knows his own, but not others' defects and miseries; and 'tis the nature of
all men still to reflect upon themselves, their own misfortunes,” not to examine or consider other men's, not to
compare themselves with others: To recount their miseries, but not their good gifts, fortunes, benefits, which they
have, or ruminate on their adversity, but not once to think on their prosperity, not what they have, but what they
want: to look still on them that go before, but not on those infinite numbers that come after. 3582“Whereas many a man would think himself in heaven, a pretty prince, if he had but the
least part of that fortune which thou so much repinest at, abhorrest and accountest a most vile and wretched estate.”
How many thousands want that which thou hast? how many myriads of poor slaves, captives, of such as work day and night
in coal-pits, tin-mines, with sore toil to maintain a poor living, of such as labour in body and mind, live in extreme
anguish, and pain, all which thou art free from? O fortunatos nimium bona si sua norint: Thou
art most happy if thou couldst be content, and acknowledge thy happiness; 3583Rem carendo, non fruendo cognoscimus, when thou shalt hereafter come to
want that which thou now loathest, abhorrest, and art weary of, and tired with, when 'tis past thou wilt say thou wert
most happy: and after a little miss, wish with all thine heart thou hadst the same content again, mightst lead but such
a life, a world for such a life: the remembrance of it is pleasant. Be silent then, 3584rest satisfied, desine, intuensque in aliorum infortunia solare mentem,
comfort thyself with other men's misfortunes, and as the mouldwarp in Aesop told the fox, complaining for want of a
tail, and the rest of his companions, tacete, quando me occulis captum videtis, you complain of
toys, but I am blind, be quiet. I say to thee be thou satisfied. It is 3585recorded of the hares, that with a general consent they went to drown themselves, out of
a feeling of their misery; but when they saw a company of frogs more fearful than they were, they began to take
courage, and comfort again. Compare thine estate with others. Similes aliorum respice casus, mitius
ista feres. Be content and rest satisfied, for thou art well in respect to others: be thankful for that thou
hast, that God hath done for thee, he hath not made thee a monster, a beast, a base creature, as he might, but a man, a
Christian, such a man; consider aright of it, thou art full well as thou art. 3586Quicquid vult habere nemo potest, no man can have what he will,
Illud potest nolle quod non habet, he may choose whether he will desire that which he hath not.
Thy lot is fallen, make the best of it. 3587“If we should all
sleep at all times,” (as Endymion is said to have done) “who then were happier than his fellow?” Our life is but short,
a very dream, and while we look about 3588immortalitas adest, eternity is at hand: 3589“Our life is a pilgrimage on earth, which wise men pass with great alacrity.” If thou be in
woe, sorrow, want, distress, in pain, or sickness, think of that of our apostle, “God chastiseth them whom he loveth:
they that sow in tears, shall reap in joy,” Psal. cxxvi. 6. “As the furnace proveth the
potter's vessel, so doth temptation try men's thoughts,” Eccl. xxv. 5, 'tis for 3590thy good, Periisses nisi periisses: hadst thou not been so visited,
thou hadst been utterly undone: “as gold in the fire,” so men are tried in adversity. Tribulatio
ditut: and which Camerarius hath well shadowed in an emblem of a thresher and corn,

Si tritura absit paleis sunt abdita grana,

Nos crux mundanis separat a paleis:

As threshing separates from straw the corn,

By crosses from the world's chaff are we born.

'Tis the very same which 3591Chrysostom comments, hom. 2. in 3 Mat. “Corn is not separated but by
threshing, nor men from worldly impediments but by tribulation.” 'Tis that which 3592Cyprian ingeminates,
Ser. 4. de immort. 'Tis that which 3593Hierom, which all the fathers inculcate,
“so we are catechised for eternity.” 'Tis that which the proverb insinuates. Nocumentum
documentum; 'tis that which all the world rings in our ears. Deus unicum habet filium sine
peccato, nullum sine flagello: God, saith 3594Austin, hath one son without sin, none without correction. 3595“An expert seaman is tried in a tempest, a runner in a race, a captain in a battle, a
valiant man in adversity, a Christian in tentation and misery.” Basil, hom. 8. We are sent as
so many soldiers into this world, to strive with it, the flesh, the devil; our life is a warfare, and who knows it not?
3596Non est ad astra mollis e terris via: 3597“and therefore peradventure this world here is made troublesome unto us,” that, as Gregory
notes, “we should not be delighted by the way, and forget whither we are going.”

Go on then merrily to heaven. If the way be troublesome, and you in misery, in many grievances: on the other side
you have many pleasant sports, objects, sweet smells, delightsome tastes, music, meats, herbs, flowers, &c. to
recreate your senses. Or put case thou art now forsaken of the world, dejected, contemned, yet comfort thyself, as it
was said to Agar in the wilderness, 3599“God sees thee, he takes notice of thee:” there is a God above that can vindicate thy
cause, that can relieve thee. And surely 3600Seneca thinks he takes delight in seeing thee. “The gods are well pleased when they see great
men contending with adversity,” as we are to see men fight, or a man with a beast. But these are toys in respect,
3601 “Behold,” saith he, “a spectacle worthy of God; a good man contented with his estate.” A
tyrant is the best sacrifice to Jupiter, as the ancients held, and his best object “a contented mind.” For thy part
then rest satisfied, “cast all thy care on him, thy burthen on him,” 3602“rely on him, trust on him, and he shall nourish thee,
care for thee, give thee thine heart's desire;” say with David, “God is our hope and strength, in troubles ready to be
found,” Psal. xlvi. 1. “for they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which
cannot be removed,” Psal. cxxiv. 1. 2. “as the mountains are about Jerusalem, so is the
Lord about his people, from henceforth and for ever.”